The documentary proof for the inclusion of James in our family tree is not as strong as I would like. Nevertheless, having considered a broad range of evidence, it is my judgement (based on the balance of probabilities) that James Fleming and his wife Mary Sinclair are the parents of my 4G grandfather Angus Fleming; born at Cambuslang on 29 June 1800. Angus was one of the younger children in a large family, even by the standards of his time. He had at least 5 brothers and 4 sisters.
The evidence that I relied on and my reasons for making the judgement mentioned above are outlined in my 2019 research report: Angus Fleming's origins - read it here.
It is likely that James Fleming's parents were Robert Fleming and Janet Hamilton who were married at Avondale on 9 April 1752. They had five children baptised altogether, including James who was baptised at Stonehouse on 7 January 1761.
Scotland’s Old Parish Registers record 10 children for James Fleming and Mary Sinclair, starting with Janet who was baptised at Blantyre in Lanark in 1792. Her baptism record states that James was a private soldier in the foot guards. He must have left the military life soon after because he was recorded as a tailor on most subsequent records.
Based on the family's clear adherence to the rules of the Scottish naming convention, I suspect that James and Mary may have had another son who is not recorded in the records: named Angus and born about 1787.
The children of James Fleming and Mary Sinclair were:
1 - 1782 - Janet - Blantyre
2 - 1784 - Robert - Blantyre
3 - 1786 - Janet the younger - Blantyre
3a - 1787 - Angus - possible
4 - 1789 - James - Blantyre
5 - 1792 - John - Blantyre
6 - 1794 - Isobel - Blantyre
7 - 1798 - Hugh - Blantyre
8 - 1800 - Angus - Cambuslang
9 - 1803 - Hugh the younger - Cambuslang
10 - 1805 - Janet the youngest - Cambuslang
Prior to these children, no Fleming children had been baptised in Blantyre for at least 82 years. This means that it is unlikely that James Fleming came from Blantyre; and, therefore, that his wife probably did. She is probably the Mary Sinclair who was baptised at Blantyre on 26 February 1764. Her father's name was, significantly, Angus.
Mary’s mother’s name may have been Janet, given that this name was given to their eldest daughter. This child must have died before 1786, because a second Janet was baptised in that year.
I have not been able to establish the fate of either James Fleming or Mary Sinclair.